Faerie
Faeries, or the Fae, are one of the three main intelligent races on Halse. They are short humanoids with insectoid or avian wings and pointed ears. History The Fae were created by the Unity in the planet's very early history during the Blossoming. The Unity prized them for their beauty and intelligence, as well as their creative hearts. The Fae gained the favor of their creators by being the first to offer live sacrifices to the gods. As a result, the Unity blessed the race with pride of place on Halse, raising them up as first among the mortals and gifting them with wings. The Sylph, the ancestral ruler of the Fae, was also blessed with immortality. At this time, their civilizations were known for their stunning architectural beauty, rich culture, and organization. During the later war among the Unity, faeries were one of the main races to be militarized by the gods and pitted against each other and the Drakes. Their forms became monstrous, their minds cruel, and they developed a taste for blood to fuel their dark magic and enhanced aggressiveness. Using the life force of other living beings, the faeries pooled their relatively weak mana reserves into a perverse blood magic spell that created what the faeries called the High Realm. This was an eldritch, dreamlike plane that was ruled by the Fae nobility and policed by their war council. Countless prisoners of war were forcibly transported to the High Realm, where they remained trapped for eternity. The Fae would often steal the children of their enemies and take them there to reduce morale, and lure unwitting travelers to the Realm as they abused their power. After the war and due to the Cataclysm's interference, the young god restored the faeries back into a state much like they were before the war. Their penchant for consuming blood disappeared, their bodies un-warped, and their physical and magical strength shriveled into pre-war levels. The High Realm, unable to be destroyed by the weakened god, became permanently cut off from them. Unfortunately, because of the Cataclysm's oversight, many faeries stayed trapped with their prisoners, including most of their royalty, including the Sylph. When the Starborn arrived, the Fae were the first to discover them. They were welcoming toward the lost travelers and offered their help in exchange for various memories, keepsakes, and other things important to humans, as Fae magic grows more powerful depending on the "payment", or sacrifice, as the Fae prefer to call it. This is partly why humanity's origins are shrouded in myth among that race. However, faeries introduced the Starborn to magic as well, and helped found many of the oldest human settlements in Karsen. Over time, the Fae decreased in political power because of the rising human population and various conflicts with drakes. The loss of the Sylph was also a blow to the heavily-centralized, hierarchical faerie society, and internal power struggles abounded. They eventually became embroiled in the Fae-Draconic Wars, a long struggle which was fought over land and resource rights (and racial grudges that had endured for millennia), and won by the stronger and more organized drakes. Remaining faeries escaped into the wilderness or into hiding in human communities, where they gradually recovered because of the drakes' reluctance to go to war against yet another race. Because of this, a longstanding treaty was created between the Fae and humanity, known simply as the Pact. It ensured that individual humans and faeries can create a magically-bound consensual partnership in which the magic abilities of both are slightly enhanced due to a temporary binding of souls. Such minor pacts can only be dissolved upon death or strong light magic interference, and both parties cannot form another afterwards. The Pact is preserved to this day, and thousands of historic partnerships are recorded in history. Habitat and Population Despite their delicate constitution, faeries can live in a variety of climates thanks to their deep magical connections to the world's origins. Although they are not immune to temperature extremes, their bodies are naturally magically shielded from some of the worst of the elements. Those who live in city centers typically make their homes in human-style houses, while those who live in hermit communities will often live in treehouses, hillsides, caves, or other natural shelters altered to be more habitable. They live all over Karsen, mostly inhabiting the same terrestrial locales as humans, with whom they share close bonds of friendship. The Fae make up perhaps 30% of the world population, second after humans. The faerie population is growing rapidly, however, with the advent of a long era of peace and prosperity for the race. Biology Anatomy and physiology Faeries are short and delicate in stature, with adults usually standing between three and four feet (91-123 cm) in height. Over the course of Fae history, the average height has risen several inches. Their bodies tend toward lean or plump, and they have a low muscle to fat ratio. Males have slightly more muscle mass than females, but not much. Females also tend to be slightly shorter than males in the manner of humans. Faeries have an eternally-young appearance, and never seem to look older than a human in their mid- to late-forties at the oldest. The ears of a faerie are lengthy and pointed at the tip, and afford a sense of hearing three times as sharp as that of a human's. Size and shape vary, but the most common appearance is the horizontal ear that grows perpendicular to the side of the head. Their hair and eyes are more likely to be "unnatural" colors thanks to their mana-infused bodies, but this is slightly rarer than the common range of shades. All faeries have little body hair except on their heads. A faerie's vocal cords are structured differently than a human's, meaning they can make sounds that humans normally cannot. Most individuals excel at vocal imitation of other mortals and creatures alike. Faerie wings almost always sprout from their upper backs, although some are located near the lumbar spine. They most resemble insect wings of various species, although about 30% of the population bears avian wings with feathers, and the rest have still different varieties. Regardless of size, their wings are capable of lifting their bodies in flight, and they can hover by rapidly fluttering their wings for long periods of time. However, flying long distances (i.e., miles/kilometers) is more difficult due to the strain that wind and directional flying place on them. The average adult faerie in decent physical fitness can fly several hundred feet before tiring, and hover for one to two hours at a time. Faeries are also capable of telepathy. They can communicate telepathically among their closely related family members depending on physical distance and relationship, sending anything from thoughts to emotions to images. The accuracy and strength of a message is strongly influenced by the relationship between the conversation partners - faeries who have close positive bonds are more easily able to mind-speak than those who are distant or hostile. Communication is easiest the closer they are located, and past about a mile (1.6 km), only a faint impression of the other's presence is able to be felt. Magical obstacles may also blur or block out telepathic messages entirely. The Sylph was able to speak mentally to the Fae at large, but their voice has not been heard in many thousands of years. Life cycle Faeries reproduce sexually. However, they lay eggs rather than give birth to live young. They lay eggs in clutches of four to six. Faerie eggs are five to eight inches (13-20 cm) in length and vary in shape and appearance. They can look like animal eggs of different species depending on the dominant wing genotype of the parents. The bird variants have a hard calcium carbonate shell that is difficult to break without assistance from an adult. Eggs will usually hatch after two to three months. Insectoid and fish eggs require no incubation, while bird eggs do. Infant and child faeries are called sprites. Sprites are hatched with fully-developed extremities, but ambulation and coordination is clumsy. Newly-hatched sprites have the mental if not physical development of a two- to three-year-old human child. Sprites begin developing to adulthood between the ages of 10-13, with a growth spurt around 12, and are considered adults at 18. Their mental development occurs slightly faster than that of humans up to this point, and they learn new languages and skills with far more ease. Their brains tend to be fully matured by the age of 20. The life expectancy of faeries is 75 years. Faeries are considered elderly around 65 years of age. The oldest recorded individual was the first Sylph, who is presumably still alive in the High Realm. The oldest individual in modern times died at the age of 95. Diet Faeries are largely vegetarian. Some who live very close to humans have developed omnivorous habits, but only over several generations. A well-known quirk of faerie biology is that they can only consume magically-enchanted food without ill effects. Eating enchanted food helps maintain their manarhythm, or internal mana balance. Without it, illness sets in and they expire faster due to the high rate at which they naturally expend mana. In most cases, this simply means food that is prepared by faeries, who by merely handling it enchant the item. Foods that are eaten raw or require very little hands-on preparation are able to be charmed this way in an almost unnoticeable fashion. Other times, faeries must cast a spell over the food before eating, or make it with traditional faerie ingredients grown in mana-rich environments. Other races may consume faerie food, but it has no nutritional value or satiating qualities for humans and drakes will fall dangerously ill. Faeries can survive two to four weeks without food depending on fat reserves. They can survive without water for two to three days. Biological and structural variation There is a more noticeable range of biological variation in the Fae than in humans. As mentioned above, faeries can have many different wing and ear types, with different shapes, sizes, and colors. There are many subspecies of fae, all of which can interbreed and recognize each other as the same race. While most live in like groups, it is not uncommon for communities to include many different species. All have the same winged humanoid appearance, with some differences such as longer ears and slightly taller height in the elves, flying fish wings in the undines and naiads, and shorter, stockier stature in the drow and imps. They differentiate among themselves by their preferred habitats (not an exhaustive list): * Nature faeries: Include elves, pixies, nymphs, tengu, hulders, and dryads, among others. * Water faeries: Include undines, nix, bunyips, and naiads, among others. * Dark faeries: Include gnomes, brownies, imps, and drows, among others. From an out-of-universe standpoint, most faeries are of European inspiration. Behavior Language The ancestral language of the Fae, Unra'u, is something of a dying language due to cultural upheavals and genocide. It is only spoken by a minority of faeries, most in isolated Fae communities, where it is the de facto tongue. Other speakers include certain Fae mages who use it in light or dark magic incantations. Due to its unique vocalizations that only faeries can make, humans and drakes cannot speak the language accurately. Unra'u's writing system has five syllabaries, all meant for different writing and grammatical styles. Most faeries recognize the Fae script, known collectively as Hallekad'ish'fgln, and a handful of words, but do not understand it well. It is considered bad form for non-Fae to learn their ancient tongue because of religious and cultural reasons, although not outright barred, and learning to read Hallekad'ish'fgln is more understandable. Drakes learning Unra'u is by far "worse" than humans learning it because of racial rivalries stretching back to the creation of the world. Hermit Fae communities have a more conservative view of their language than do more cosmopolitan populations. The majority of the Fae speak the human languages of Halse. Regardless of the language they speak, faeries highly value words, both the spoken and unspoken. They recognize sprites' first words both verbal and telepathic as important fortunes of their future. Refusing or not being able to speak for whatever reason is strongly disparaged in Fae society, and mute faeries are often ostracized or driven out by their families because of a folk belief that mutism is contagious. Gender roles Faeries seem to harbor more lax views about gender and sexuality than humans, but in reality they have merely differently-structured social rules. The ancient ruler of the Fae, the Sylph, was believed to be sexless, and many modern faeries change gender identity at various points in their life for cultural, religious, or rarely personal reasons. Numerous and elaborate duties, practices, privileges, and norms are associated with different genders, which humans often find confusing. Certain Fae communities may have adopted human beliefs about gender roles over time, however. Being in relationships with members of other races is taboo to varying degrees. Kinship Fae culture is deeply entrenched in ideas of community and family, and does not glorify the individual. Placing the community's importance over that of the individual is common practice, especially in more traditional groups. Faerie families are usually large thanks to the size of their egg clutches and rapid rate of reproduction. It is not uncommon for faeries to have immediate family members numbering in the double digits. Bonds of family are strong among the Fae, which are reflected in individuals' numerous names honoring their bloodline. Being family-oriented, devoted to one's parents and siblings, and having good parenting skills is expected of most faeries. To be Fae is a matter of cultural customs and values performed, beyond sole blood ties, so rarely humans may be considered at least part-Fae if raised among them. Such humans are known as changelings, and have various rights and responsibilities afforded them in Fae society that other humans do not. Conversely, faeries raised by humans are thought to be "impure" or cursed in some way. While accepted by most of society both human and Fae, they are oftentimes chased away or barred from traditional Fae communities. Ethnicity TBA Society, government, and politics The structure of modern faerie society is derived from ancient hierarchy rules from pre-Cataclysmic times. They have a caste system based on charism type, which translates directly to the roles played in society (i.e., warrior, gatherer, healer, crafter, priest, etc). caste table here In addition to the caste, faeries answer to various upper caste local guardians known as H'gnerat, who are all bound to obey the Sylph, who they still recognize as the ruler of the Fae. In practice, this means that the H'gnerat rule the various Fae colonies in the way they see fit. Faeries who live among other races are less likely to be aware of/follow all the caste rules, though they most certainly know their caste. Trade and economics TBA War Since the Cataclysm, faeries have not gone to war as a unified race led by a single power. The Fae-Draconic Wars were fought by the majority of faeries, but some clans did not participate. In modern times, the Fae strongly eschew violence for its own sake, but will often fight alongside mankind in their wars as mercenaries or political allies. The favored weapon of the Fae is their magic, as most have little physical strength. While individual mages tend to be knowledgeable and practiced about all fields of magic, few can actually be considered powerful on their own. However, faeries are unique among the races in that they can temporarily link their charisms together in groups, strengthening their spell-casting ability to several magnitudes greater than usual and increasing the group's telepathic power. This technique has been used by faeries in conflict for thousands of years to devastating effect. Some Fae subcultures have used bows and arrows and other projectile weapons in battle, often magically-boosted to have different useful properties. Knives and other short bladed weapons used in combat are discouraged in most Fae cultures. This is because of their association with ancient blood magic. Faeries discovered to be concealing knives on their persons in public will often be shunned or reprimanded by others of their kind. Material culture and technology Faeries have adapted well to the advancement of technology in Halse given their close association with humans, the pioneers of most such developments. Faerie scholars, doctors, and inventors are at the forefront of scientific and medicinal knowledge. Beauty for beauty's sake is thought of as necessary for maintaining a civilized and peaceful society, and not frivolous at all. As a consequence, many Fae decorate themselves lavishly with rich clothes, jewelry, and natural effects if they have the means to do so. Almost all personal accessories have various cultural, religious, romantic, and socioeconomic meanings depending on the type and location of the accessory. Even the poorest of faeries will adorn themselves with leaves, branches, berries, stones, and flowers to denote their standing in society. Religion and spirituality The Fae have long-running religious traditions that stretch back to pre-Cataclysmic times, and today's faeries hold a variety of beliefs. The Fae believe in the existence of the Kindred, the supernatural race of immortal beings who govern the Deepskies, and consider them fellow children of the Unity. Due to the widespread belief that the Kindred are the ones who guard the gates of the cursed High Realm, faeries view them as divine guardians to be feared and respected. Art, music, and literature Since their creation, faeries have prided themselves on their artistic talents. Most faeries are skilled in at least one art or craft, especially drawing or painting. Still others are architects, sculptors, musicians, clothiers, writers, artisan craftsmen, and more. Frequently one Fae clan is known for its specialty in a particular art, and most members of the family are trained in that field. Singing is a popular pastime in Fae communities, elevated by religious history and the Fae reverence for the voice and words. Often certain songs are magic incantations in themselves, and faeries distinguish clearly between magical and non-magical versions of the same songs, used in different contexts. The Fae have a strong oral tradition and most of their history is passed down through storytelling. Magic Magic among the Fae is deeply influenced by the law of conservation of energy.